Hot Flashes

A hot flash is a sudden, intense, hot feeling on your face and upper body. Hot flashes can be accompanied by a rapid heartbeat, sweating, nausea, dizziness, anxiety, headache, weakness, or a feeling of suffocation, followed by chills. Hot flashes are caused by a decrease in estrogen. When estrogen levels drop or estrogen receptors are blocked, the body’s temperature control system gets confused and the result is hot flashes.

Hot flashes are a symptom of menopause. If you’re having treatment for breast cancer, hot flashes can be more intense and last longer, particularly if menopause was medically induced.

Managing hot flashes

If you're having severe hot flashes, talk to your doctor. If you're taking hormonal therapy, you may be able to stop your treatment for a week or two and then restart it at a lower dose and slowly increase it. Your body may be better able to adjust to the changes this way.